The invention relates to a method, a computer program product, and a system for switching application programs. The invention relates, in particular, to a system in which a processor-controlled mobile terminal device is connected to a processor-controlled device integrated in a vehicle. In this case, an application program can be executed on the terminal device in particular and switched to another application program by way of the vehicle-integrated device. The application program can be a so-called app in particular, which is typically loaded and executed in a mobile smartphone device having a graphic user interface and can have an informative name. Apps establish a connection to Internet services or to social networks, for example, or offer other functions such as email functions, calculator functions, etc.
Smartphones can be designed so that only a limited number of apps, in particular only one app or only one app of a specific category, can be executed at a specific point in time. Multiple apps accordingly cannot be executed in parallel. On the one hand, this has the advantage that the smartphone processor only has to process the one app in addition to the operating system programs. Therefore, the app can be processed more rapidly and reliably than if a variety of apps run simultaneously on the smartphone. On the other hand, the operation is substantially more comprehensible and easier for the user of the smartphone if only one app at a time is executed. This is true in particular if the display screen area of the smartphone is quite limited and a sufficient overview of the current running states of all apps cannot be provided to the user simultaneously.
If a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone is connected to a device integrated in a vehicle, for example, to an infotainment device, the risk then exists that the driver of the vehicle will be distracted by switching between apps during travel. This risk exists, in particular, if the switching can be performed only directly on the terminal device and, for example, its display screen and/or operating buttons are relatively small.
A method for exchanging data between apps is described in US 2011/0138370 A1.
Switching between various websites or applications for a display screen representation by use of a switching application, which displays multiple selection options simultaneously, in conjunction with an Internet browser is known from US 2010/0146449 A1.
The contents of the above-mentioned publications are hereby incorporated by reference in the present description.
It is the object of the invention, in a mobile multimedia terminal device, which is connected to a second device, a so-called multimedia docking device, to enable switching between two application programs in a simple manner if the switching is performed by way of the multimedia docking device.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a processor-controlled multimedia terminal device, which is connected to a processor-controlled multimedia docking device. A group of multiple application programs, which are provided for execution, is stored on the multimedia terminal device. Application programs can run on the multimedia device in the foreground and in the background. When running in the foreground, an application program can output data via a graphic user interface. Only one of the application programs of the group is executed at one point in time in the foreground. When running in the background, in contrast, an application program cannot output data via the graphic user interface. A storage region is provided in the multimedia terminal device, to which the application programs have read and write access during their execution. An application-specific data set is stored in the storage region for each of the application programs, which is also maintained in the storage region after the ending of the respective application program. For switching application programs in the multimedia terminal device, it is provided that a first application program, during its execution, reads the application-specific data sets of the other application programs of the group and stores them in a list in the multimedia terminal device. The list is transferred to the multimedia docking device. Data on the application programs contained in the list are displayed on the multimedia docking device. Switching from the execution of the first application program to an execution of the second application program in the multimedia terminal device is performed by way of the multimedia docking device, wherein the execution of the first application program in the foreground on the multimedia terminal device is ended and the second application program is moved to run on the multimedia terminal device in the foreground.
The invention is based on the discovery that it is advantageous for switching, which is remote-controlled by way of the multimedia docking device, from a first application program to a second application program, which are executed in the multimedia terminal device, to store data of the application programs in the storage region. Furthermore, it has been recognized that it is advantageous to make the storage region accessible to all application programs. In addition, it has been recognized that the switching is simplified if the respective executed application program stores the data of the other application programs in a list. The list can thus be transferred with little effort from the multimedia terminal device to the multimedia docking device and it can also be stored therein. The storage of the list can be performed in the volatile working memory of the respective device. The list, which is generated for one application program, having the data of the other application programs can be kept in the memory in each case as long as the one application program runs in the foreground. It can then be erased.
The list can advantageously be used in the multimedia docking device to enable the user, with a comprehensible quantity of information, to select and switch to another application program in the multimedia terminal device. This is advantageous in particular if the switching in a vehicle is performed by the vehicle driver, because he is hardly distracted from driving the vehicle due to the simple selection capability and the simple, user-friendly switching. This is all the more true the smaller the display screen area and the operating elements, for example, mechanical or touch screen buttons of the multimedia terminal device and the larger or more convenient, in relation thereto, are the operating and display elements are on the multimedia docking device.
The switching, including the closing of the first application program and the starting of the second application program, can be at least partially automated and thus substantially simplified by the invention. In addition, for example, in conjunction with a multimedia docking station which is permanently installed in a motor vehicle, individual different display and/or operating elements can be provided than are on the multimedia terminal device, which display and/or elements are adapted to driving the vehicle. For example, display elements such as a large display screen and/or adapted operating elements, for example, operating wheels (scroll wheels) or buttons attached in the vicinity of the steering wheel or directly on the steering wheel can be provided. The display can occur in a position which is easy to observe by the driver, for example, in the display console region of the vehicle in the case of a multimedia and navigation display area. The multimedia terminal device can then be stowed out of sight in an armrest console in the vehicle, for example, because the vehicle driver does not have to operate it. The selection of the application programs can be substantially simplified, for example, in that only selected or shortened data or items of information on the application program, in particular data of the application-specific data set in a selection list, are displayed in the vehicle. Convenience and safety during driving of a vehicle are increased further by such vehicle-specific adaptations.
The invention is applicable particularly advantageously in smartphones, on which computer programs can run in the foreground or in the background as described. Such an operating mode can occur, for example, if a multimedia terminal device is controlled using the operating system iOS (iPhone OS) from Apple Inc. In this case, it can also be provided that an application program running in the foreground is assigned computing time as a matter of priority on a microprocessor during its activation, while programs which are activated in the background are only assigned computing time in a relatively limited or subordinate manner.
In one advantageous exemplary embodiment of the invention, the application-specific data set of the application programs comprises, in each case, at least one identification of the application, a target address, under which the respective application program is retrievable in the multimedia terminal device, and a signature. The identification can be a name of the application, for example. The target address can be a uniform resource locator (URL) address, for example, in particular an address within the multimedia terminal device. The signature of the application can be provided in particular for checking the data set or the useful data contained therein, for example, the name and the URL. For this purpose, a controller having a computer program module can be provided in the multimedia terminal device, which checks the signature before the application program can be displayed on the multimedia docking device. The application-specific data set can comprise further data, for example, a graphic symbol of the application program.
In a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, in each case a check of the signature thereof is initiated by the first application for the application-specific data sets of the further application programs of the group and the respective application programs are only included in the list upon passing the signature check. With these measures, an integrated signature check can be performed such that only those application programs are included in the list whose signature of the useful data of the data set is unchanged and valid and which are authorized for the selection on the multimedia docking device. This also contributes to the scope of the list being restricted, specifically to those application programs which have a valid signature. Accordingly, only these application programs are offered for selection in the multimedia docking device.
In addition, application programs can be prevented from being offered to the vehicle driver, which were automatically stored without his intention on the multimedia terminal device, so-called spam application programs. Application programs in the meaning of the present invention are computer programs oriented to an application in particular.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.